Government wants to cancel court holiday

The government was yesterday expected to today request that the Federal Civil and Commercial Court re-habilitate the justice system in January, a month in which it is normally on holiday.

The objective of this move would be to ensure the prompt resolution of the suit presented by the Clarín group against the Broadcasting law. The presentation will be made in the first hour by Cabinet Chief Juan Manuel Abal Medina, with the sponsorship of the Treasury’s Prosecutor-General, in addition to the counter-claim filed last week by the Federal Authority of Audiovisual Communication Services (AFSCA).

The court rehabilitation request was made after the Supreme Court rejected the per saltum sought by the national government to bypass the appeals process in the case of the constitutionality of two articles of the law, and at the same time confirming the extension of the preventive measures that blocks the group Clarín divestment law. The Supreme Court ordered the chamber to “move quickly” on the judgement but did not give them a fixed period.

The Clarín Group’s appeal provided a further obstacle to the implementation of the new Broadcasting Law, leaving the issue in the hands of the court, which already ruled the suspension of the divestment law, while its constitutionality is being debated.

The judges who will head the court handling the case are Francisco de las Carreras, Ricardo Guarinoni and Graciela Medina.

If the government request is accepted, the Clarín Group must present its case for appealing judge Alfonso’s ruling, where they will have 10 working days to answer. Judicial sources, however, doubted that the chamber will accept the government request since the Supreme Court had denied the use of per saltum and supported the injunction without fixing a time period for the case to be resolve which would have given urgency to the judicial process.

Civic Front Cordoba Senator Luis Juez requested yesterday that Universal Child Benefits be turned into parliamentary law and that the government discuss the federal tax revenue-sharing system because the “provincial financial situation is asphyxiating.”

Herald with Telam